Attachments for hand knitting machines



April 8, 1958 J. Q. FRIEDMAN ATTACHMENTS FOR HAND KNITTING MACHINES 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 8, 1956 fWiQ W his ATTORNEY A ril 8, 1958 J.Q. FRIEDMAN ATTACHMENTS FOR HAND KNITTING MACHINES v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed Oct. 8. 1956 WWN INVENTOR T o wvl kilil' (ii/2 Qfilhzmam BY hi3ATTORNEY ATTACHMENTS non HAND KNITTING Claims. ((11. 66-760) Thisinvention relates to knitting machines inlgeheral, and more particularlyto a device attachable to aknitting machine and adapted to move theknitting cam box by means of electric current.

Knitting machines of known construction include an elongated frame withaneedle bed and a knitting cam box which is manipulated in its tracksback and forth by the operator who also determinesthe extent of theoscillatory movement of the cam, depending on the dimensions of theknitting. Such manual work is tiresome to the operator and the speed ofthe cams movement is rather limited. i i

Accordingly, the principal object of the invention is to provide adevice including a motor which is attachable to a hand knitting machineto move the knitting cam at a desiredspeed.

'Another object of the invention is to provide an attachment of theabove character which is relatively simple in construction, of lightweight, andwhich is adapted to serveas a support for the knittingmachine.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the abovecharacter which includes means for controlling the extent of oscillatorymovement of the knitting cam.

A yet further object of the invention is to provide a device of theabove character which is fully automatic and requires attention of theoperator only when a change in the velocity and extent of travel of theknitting cam is desired.

I achieve these objects by the provision of an elongated attachmentsecured to the underside of a knitting machine, which includes atraveling arm coupled with the knitting cam box and driven by areversible electric motor forming part of the attachment. I also provideadjustable stop members which determine the extent of movement of theknitting cam by actuating a switch which controls the direction ofrotation of the reversible motor. The entire attachment with the motoris of such size and shape as to fit into a relatively small portablereceptacle.

Other objects, features and attributes of the novel device will becomeapparent in the course of the following description of the preferredembodiment which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and theinvention will be finally pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the receptaclefor a hand knittingmachine and novel attachment, and of the pedal which controls theelectric motor of the drive;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the knitting machine connected with thenovel attachment, removed from the receptacle and turned for 180; v

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the attachment disconnected from the knittingmachine;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged top view of the right-hand end of the device shownin Fig. 3; and

Fig. .5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 in Fig. 4.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, and first to Unitd States Patent2,829,509 Patented A r. s, 1953 Fig. 1, there is shown a receptacle forthe knitting machine 11 having a traveling cam box 12 provided with aknob 13 for manual operation thereof. The machine 11, which forms nopartof this invention, is connected with the novel attachment 14, thelatter including an electric motor 15 of the reversible type, and anopera rive connection with the knitting cam box 12.

The attachment or driving support 14, which is shown attached to theknitting machine 11 in Fig. 2 and disconnected therefrom in Fig. 3,comprises an elongated metallic rod 16 which is the main structuralmember of the novel device and to which are attached two brackets 17a,17b connecting the support 14 with the knitting machine 11 on the onehand, and with the receptacle 10 or with a working table (not shown) onthe other hand. The rod 16 also carries a second pair of brackets 18a,18b at the respective longitudinal ends thereof which support the otherelements of the attachment including the motor 15. t I

A shaft 19 which passes through the brackets 17a, 17b has onelongitudinal end slidably and rotatably received in the bearing 20a (seeFig. 2), while its other end extends through a bearing 20b and ispivotally attached, for example by means of a cotter pin 24, to theprojecting arm 22 of a double pole double throw switch 21 which isencased in the projecting portion 23 of the bracket 18b; The member 23also supports the hearing 20b. Shaft 19 carries two stops 25a, 25b whichconsist of hollow sleeves 26a, 26b freely slidable on the shaft, andradial studs 27a, 27b received in tubes 28a, 28b of resilientrubber-like material. The annuli 29a, 2915 are secured to the shaft 19by means of screws 30, 30b and coil springs 31a, 31b are insertedbetween the respective members 25a, 29a and 25b, 29b.

A threaded shaft 32 is rotatably mounted in a bearing 33a connected withthe bracket 18a, and in a bearing 3311' which is supported by thebracket 34 attached to the supporting rod 16. The shaft 32 extendsthrough the bearing 33b and is connected to the disc 36a of the clutch35, whose disc 36b is connected to the drive shaft of the reversiblemotor 15. The clutch includes a pad 37 of resilient material between thediscs 36a, 36b. The traveling member 38 has a sleeve 39 provided with aninternal bearing (not shown) which travels along the shaft 32 when thelatter is rotated by the motor 15. The member 38 also includes an arm 40which radially projects from the sleeve 39 and has its free end coupledwith the cam 12 of the knitting machine 11 (see Fig. 2).

Cable 41 connects the motor 15 with a plug 42 (see Fig. 4), and a secondcable 43 connects the motor with a rheostat type pedal 44 (see Fig. 1),such as is commonly used for actuation of electric sewing machines andsimilar appliances. 1

In Fig. l, the flaps 45a, 45b forming part of the knitting machine 11are folded inwardly over the adjacent rows of knitting needles 46 toreveal the elements of the novel attachment 14. When the machine is inuse, the flaps are pivoted outwardly (see flap 45a in Fig. 2). Theoperator then starts the motor by depressing the pivot plate 47 formingpart of the pedal 44, whereupon the rotating shaft 32 causes the member38 to travel back and forth therealong together with the cam box 12between the stops 25a, 25b. The coil springs 31a, 31b absorb the shockwhen the arm 40 of the member 38 strikes against the respective rubbercoated radial studs 27a, 27b. By way of example, when the freelyslidable sleeve 26b (see Fig. 4) whose rubber coated stud 27b is engagedby the arm 40, compresses the coil spring 31b and causes it to bearagainst the fixed annulus 29b, the shaft 19 moves toward right andthrows over the switch 21 which in turn reverses the motor 15. Theextent of reciproeating travel of the cam box 12 and of member 38 isthus controlled by the fixed annuli 29a, 2915 which may be adjusted asdesired by means of screws 30a, 3%. Clutch 35 absorbs the shock when themotor is suddenly reversed and the rotating shaft 32 then carries thecoupling member 38 togetherwith the cam box 12 in the opposingdirection.

The brackets 17a, 171) which, as best shown in Fig. 2, are provided withholes for reception of suitable fastening members, may be attached tothe receptacle 10v (see Fig. l), or to the top of a working table whenthe assembly is removed from the receptacle, as is shown in Fi 2.

Certain changes and modifications in the arrangement of parts andconstructional details will readily occur to persons skilled in the art,and I therefore do not desire to be limited to the exact detail-s of theembodiments shown and described, the scope of the invention beingdefined in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a knitting machine having a plurality of knittingneedles and a knitting cam box movable in the longitudinal direction ofsaid machine above said needles, a device attachable to the underside ofsaid machine including an elongated structural member, fas

tening means for connecting said structural member with the underside ofsaid knitting machine, an electric motor of the reversible type attachedto one end of said structural member, control means associated with saidmotor for varying the rotational speed thereof, a first shaft connectedwith said structural member in spaced parallelism therewith for limitedmovement in the axial direction thereof, switch means operativelyconnected with said motor for reversing same and with one end of saidfirst shaft, means defining a pair of stops on said first shaft, asecond externally threaded shaft supported by-said structural member,said second shaft being parallel with and spaced from said first shaftand operatively connected with said motor, an internally threaded sleeveon said second shaft adapted to travel along said second shaft when thelatter is rotated by said motor, and an arm projecting from said sleeveand connected with said cam box of said knitting machine between saidstops, said stops being in the path of said arm and adapted to reversesaid motor by actuating said switch means when engaged by said arm.

2. The structure of claim 1, wherein said stops each include a firsttubular member on said first shaft, fastening means for releasablyconnecting said first tubular member with said first shaft, a secondtubular member slidably mounted on said first shaft, a radial studextending from said second tubular member, and a resilient elementbetween said first and said second tubular memher.

3. The structure of claim 1, wherein said shafts extend the full lengthof said knitting machine.

4. The structure of claim 1, wherein a clutch is provided between saidsecond shaft and said motor, said clutch including a resilient cushionfor taking up the shock when said motor is reversed by said switchmeans.

5. An attachment for a hand knitting machine including an elongatedstructural member, a first and a second bracket at the respectivelongitudinal ends of said structural member, a first shaft supported insaid brackets and extending the full length of said structural member,said first shaft being slidable in said brackets, an electric motor ofthe reversible type attached to said first bracket, a double pole doublethrow switch operatively connected with said motor for reversing thedirection of its rotation and to one end of said first shaft andresponsive to the longitudinal movement of said first shaft, a pair ofstops on said first shaft, each of said stops including a first tubularmember, means for releasably connecting said first tubular member withsaid first shaft, a second tubular member slidable on said first shaft,a radial projection extending from said second tubular member, and aresilient element between said first and said second tubular member,said attachment further including a second externally threaded shaftrotatably mounted in said brackets and parallel with said first shaft,one end of said second shaft being connected with and rotatable by saidmotor, an internally threaded sleeve on said second shaft adapted totravel along said second shaft when the latter is rotated by said motor,and a radial arm extending from said sleeve, said projections of saidstops being in the path of said arm when said sleeve travels back andforth along said second shaft upon rotation of said motor.

No references cited.

